FIG. 1 illustrates a standard threaded utility handle 1 widely employed in the prior art, including a standard male-threaded handle end 11. Such handles are typically removably attached to a wide range of tools, including but not limited to: car wash brushes, brooms, leaf rakes, paint rollers, light bulb changers, outdoor elevated sign changers, wet mops, pole sanders, dusters, floor squeegees, snow shovels, chimney sweep tools, concrete screeds, window washing squeegees, paint edgers, roof snow removal tools, grass edgers, dust pans, dust mops, snow brushes, landscape rakes and limb saws. FIG. 6, illustrates a paint roller as an example of such a tool 61, and in FIG. 7 and thereafter, the range of tools to which utility handle 1 can be attached is schematically illustrated generally by the “black box” tool 61. Thus, tool 61 is to be understood to represent any one of the range of tools mentioned above, as well as any other tool not specifically mentioned which also may be connected to utility handle 1. As shown, tool 61 includes a female receptacle 62 sized and configured to mate with the male-threaded handle end 11 of utility handle 1. The combination of tool 61 with female receptacle 62 will be referred to herein as a tool assembly 6.
A standard threaded utility handle 1 can vary in its length from a few inches to four or five feet or longer. For example, for changing high-ceiling light bulbs, utility handle 1 may be twelve feet long or more. Referring to FIG. 1, this wide variation in permissible lengths is illustrated by cutout 17. However, the diameters are fairly standard. A standard threaded utility handle 1 typically comprises a handle diameter 12 of approximately ⅞″, with an outer thread diameter 13 of approximately ¾″ and an inner thread diameter 14 of approximately ½″ to ⅝″, often approximately 9/16″. The fact that handle diameter 12 is larger than both outer thread diameter 13 and inner thread diameter 14 results in utility handle 1 comprising a circumferential “shoulder” 15 proximate the juncture between the primary section 16 of handle 1 and the male-threaded handle end 11, as illustrated. Finally, male-threaded handle end 11 typically comprises a length 18 of about 1″.
Part of the problem of using a tool 61 attached to a utility handle 1 by mating the male-threaded handle end 11 with the female receptacle 62 is that the torques which impinge on tool 61 during use cause tool 61 to rotate relative to utility handle 1, which is undesirable. This is especially a problem with “wet” applications such as painting, car washing, etc., because moisture seeps into the juncture where tool 61 mates with utility handle 1, reducing the friction between male-threaded handle end 11 and female receptacle 62, and making this juncture rather slick. Whether or not the juncture is wet, undesirable rotation between male-threaded handle end 11 and female receptacle 62 still occurs because of the coarse thread and repeated uses. These twisting forces (torques) applied to the tool during usage results in un-threading which causes the handle to become loose. Of course, this renders the device functionally ineffective, reducing productivity, damaging surfaces, and leading to frustration by the user.
In an effort to eliminate the loosening problem, the user may screw male-threaded handle end 11 into female receptacle 62 with great force, at times damaging the tool or the handle itself. Tape, nails and/or screws are also frequently used to prevent loosening. However, this may cause damage to the tool or the handle as well. It also slows productivity when attempting to remove the handle for use with another tool, as well as when the handle is first attached to the tool.
Though advances have been made in the construction of these standard handles, such as using different types of wood, plastics and metals, the frequent use and reuse of these handles, in dry and especially wet applications, leads to the inevitable loosening described above.
The prior art does show some attachments between a standard threaded utility handle 1 with male-threaded handle end 11, and a tool 61, but none of which is universal, simple to use, and suitable to mitigate the rotational effects outlined above.
U.S. patents of general background interest include U.S. Pat. No. 2,819,060 which includes elastic cushioning rings for “resilient damping of impacts or for the supporting of loads” (column 1, lines 13-14) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,304 for “connecting a tool to a spindle” (abstract), see also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,595,391 and 6,779,955. U.S. Pat. No. 2,179,959 is also of interest due to its elastic nature.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,061,386; 3,142,887; 4,286,894; and 4,790,683 illustrate various “tolerance rings,” which are of general background interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,422 generally shows a tool handle fastener, but it is not a universal attachment and is not simple to use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,283 is a similar adapter, for the end of a threaded broomstick handle. In a similar vein, see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,371,282; 4,722,634; 4,792,256; 5,210,898; and 6,293,726. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,161,278; 5,172,447; and 5,366,314 further contain locking mechanisms, which also add unnecessary complexity. Other coupling devices which are needlessly complex include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,385,420; 6,219,883; 6,328,499; 6,328,499; and 6,761,500.
It would be desirable to have available a universal connector which can be used to secure a threaded utility handle 1 to a tool 61, which substantially inhibits relative rotation between the handle and the tool as the tool is used, especially for wet application, but also for dry ones.
It is further desirable that this connector be simple in configuration, easy to use, low cost to produce, and universally applicable to the juncture of a standard threaded utility handle 1 with any type of tool 61.
It is further desirable that the attachment and detachment of threaded utility handle 1 with tool 61 be a very simple operation which can take place in a matter of seconds, without any extra tools or parts, other than the connector itself.
While measurements herein are all presented in non-metric units as employed within, for example, the United States, it is to be understood that in places which make use of metric units, each of the pertinent length parameters discussed here in relation to utility handles and the female tool receptacles to which they mate will have a corresponding metric counterpart, and it is understood that these metric counterparts are also included with the scope of this disclosure and its associated claims.